Changning's Imperial Army Chapter 46

Chapter 46 – It Depends On Who It Is

Zhuang Yong was half drunk, whereas Shen Leng was about thirty percent drunk.

After they were done drinking, both of them sat in the tent in silence for quite a while. Thereafter, Zhuang Yong let out a long sigh. His sigh was filled with sorrow. He did not know whether his heart ached more for Li Yong or for himself.

“General, you are a model general.”

Shen Leng cleared the food on the table, and took the empty pot of wine with him as he prepared to take his leave. Since they had finished the wine, and had quite a long conversation, it was already more than enough…In front of Zhuang Yong, Shen Leng always acted somewhat like a child. That was because he knew his limits. After all, Zhuang Yong was a general. He was the commander of the Navy. It's impossible for them to be too close to one another.

“You are a model soldier.”

 

Shen Leng walked and shrugged. “Hence, I am a good soldier, and you are a good general. Whether or not we are a model soldier or general is not important.”

Zhuang Yong felt that they should drink to that, but he noticed that Shen Leng had already taken the pot of wine with him.

“Ahem, leave the pot behind. It's mine.”

Shen Leng was a little embarrassed. He put the pot back down and said in a disappointed voice, “Seems like this pot is pretty good. If you sell it, you can get two taels of silver back. In that case, I owe you eighteen taels of silver now.”

Zhuang Yong replied, “This was specially made by the kiln run by Great Ning; it's something that His Majesty gave to me. You think it's only worth two taels? Besides, if you can sell it for two taels, wouldn't you owe me twenty two taels instead?”

Shen Leng was slightly dumbfounded. “Since it's so valuable, I suddenly have a bold idea.”

He turned around and did the action of slitting his throat. Zhuang Yong almost spat out.

Zhuang Yong responded, “Go, go…quick leave.”

Shen Leng replied, “How regretful, a brief encounter with a large amount of silver.”

He took the rest of the trash out with him. The more Zhuang Yong looked at the back view of that young man, the more he liked it.

When he had left Zhuang Yong's tent, the sky was starting to become slightly bright. The night had passed just like that. Shen Leng tossed the trash and headed directly to the drill ground. He decided not to sleep. He ran a few rounds before washing up. Not long later, Mr. Shen and Master Cha would be arriving.

An hour later, Shen Leng got dressed and waited at the entrance of the kitchen. From a distance, he could see three people approaching with two chariots. Instinctively, he smiled.

However, when the three of them approached, Shen Leng sensed something amiss. One of them was definitely not Uncle Chen.

The chariot stopped by the entrance of the kitchen. The handsome and icily arrogant young man smiled at him, “This chariot is rather bumpy. It's not as steady as the one you used to pull.”

He deserves a beating.

Thereafter, Master Cha kicked the person off the chariot. “Move the vegetables!”

He was not angry. He adjusted his clothes. “I am Yanta Academy's top scholar in both segments – the first person to achieve that ever since Great Ning was founded. I am a Class A Sixth pin Military Officer. You want me to move vegetables?

Thereafter, he carried a basket of vegetables. “Can't you be nicer to me?”

Shen Leng stared blankly. “Why are you here?”

The conceited person was naturally Meng Changan. He carried a basket of vegetables and passed it to Shen Leng. “My hands are too precious, I can't use them to move vegetables…”

Thereafter, he tugged Shen Leng's uniform lightly. “Not bad, this is the battalion commander's uniform. The battalion commander of the kitchen of Nanping River's Navy?”

Master Cha stood at the side and glared at Meng Changan. Her lips curled upwards slightly. That was because she could tell that Leng was extremely happy. He did not expect Meng Changan to pay him a visit.

When the three of them saw Meng Changan outside the military camp, they were shocked. After all, Changan city was very far away from Anyang. Why was he back? He had no reason to be back.

Meng Changan said that he had arrived outside of the camp the day before in the afternoon, but he could not enter. He waited outside for an entire night. He wanted to buy a piece of cloth to cover his face and charge in, but that was when he happened to run into Master Cha and Mr. Shen.

Shen Leng moved the basket and stood there laughing foolishly. His eyes were slightly red.

“Don't laugh.”

“Ok.”

Meng Changan scrutinized Shen Leng from head to toe and noticed the bandage around Shen Leng's arm. He sharpened his gaze and asked, “Who?!”

He did not ask why or what happened. He only asked who it was.

Shen Leng put down the basket. He suddenly went over and hugged Meng Changan. He patted him on the back and laughed unbridledly. His laughter made Meng Changan somewhat dumbfounded. He seemed rather flustered when he extended his arms.

Master Cha went over and pulled them apart. “Why?”

There were many meanings to it – why did he hug him? Why did he hug him and not her?

 

Shen Leng rubbed his head. “I was happy because we finally reunited after a long time.”

Master Cha responded, “On the other hand, I see what it meant by 'seasonal rain falling after a long drought', and 'absence makes the heart grow fonder'.”

Mr. Shen coughed. “Ahem, ahem…”

Of course, Master Cha could understand Shen Leng's joy. Even though he had only been separated from Meng Changan for less than two months, their encounter in Changan city was rather hasty. They thought that it would be very difficult to meet again after parting ways. After all, they were separated by a long distance, and Meng Changan was leaving Changan city.

Who knew that Meng Changan would take his belongings with him and make a detour to Anyang before heading towards the north.

Master Cha and Mr. Shen unloaded the chariot. They did not want to disturb Leng and Meng Changan. When they entered the military camp, Master Cha awkwardly asked Meng Changan how long he was going to be back for. He said that he was only there to see Leng before leaving. He had to rush to the Northern Border to report for duty.

He traveled from Changan to Anyang, before heading to the Northern Border. This meant that he had to travel twice the distance. All because he wanted to see Leng?

At first, Master Cha could not understand the profound relationship between Leng and Meng Changan. After all, everyone in Yulin town knew that Meng Changan bullied Shen Leng a lot back in the day. However, when they were on their way to Changan city, Shen Leng explained to her that Meng Changan only did that whenever Mr. Meng tried to hit him. Only then did Master Cha know what kind of person Meng Changan was.

He was a fella who was prideful; someone who had an unconventional way of showing care and concern.

Shen Leng went to the kitchen to look for the cook, and requested him to prepare some food earlier. Both of them sat across from one another in the dining hall. Meng Changan ate ravenously, as though he had not eaten in days.

“How long have you gone without eating?”

Shen Leng frowned.

“Only one day.”

Meng Changan ate to his heart's content; he had two bowls of porridge, three steamed buns, some pickled tofu, some deep fried chili and a salted duck egg. He wolfed down everything and wiped his mouth. “I left hastily and forgot to take some money from the academy for my expenses. I don't have much money with me, and since I have to travel far, I need to live frugally.”

Shen Leng ran out and reached out his hand to Mr. Shen. “Did you bring the money?”

Master Cha stuffed the money pouch into his hand and scoffed, “Hmph. You took my hard-earned money to become a good samaritan…you better remember to make him thank us twice – once for me!”

Shen Leng hugged Master Cha tightly and dashed to the hall.

Master Cha blushed slightly. She lifted her hands and tidied up the strands of hair around her forehead. She muttered to herself, “Prodigal married men…”

Shen Leng placed the money pouch in front of Meng Changan. After Meng Changan took a look, he took about ten taels of silver and kept it. “That's enough.”

Naturally, Shen Leng did not insist on making him take the rest. That was because he knew Meng Changan too well – if Meng Changan said it was enough, he would never take even one more copper coin. Of course, he did not pretend to stand on ceremony in front of Shen Leng either.

“You haven't told me who.”

Meng Changan pointed at Shen Leng's wound on his arm.

“Dead.”

Shen Leng's lips curled slightly. He looked like a younger brother who was hoping for his big brother to commend him. “You told me before that I should not tolerate when I'm being bullied.”

Meng Changan was satisfied and nodded. He laughed too. He lifted his hand and knocked on Shen Leng's head. “You're still laughing?!”

Shen Leng responded, “Ok…”

Meng Changan finished eating. He sat there looking at Shen Leng in silence for about a few minutes. Thereafter, he got up and prepared to leave. “I will be going the Northern Border and work under Great General Tie Liuli. It's thousands of miles away. It's never been peaceful between the Northern Border and Heiwu – it's a place that can really train a person up the most. I am sixteen this year, if I don't die by the age of eighteen, in two years time, I will definitely be able to become a Fifth pin general. By then…”

Shen Leng replied, “We will not see each other for two years? That's nothing much. Previously, we did not see each other for three years.”

Of course, he knew the meaning behind Meng Changan's words. Heiwu Empire was Great Ning's biggest opponent on the northern side. The people of Great Ning referred to their people as red-haired people. They were tall and muscular. They had a boorish demeanor too. Furthermore, Heiwu was very big, and their military forces were extremely tough. Their way of doing things was firm and resolute. The military forces in both empires were in conflict almost every single day. They would fight against each other a few times a month. It was common for soldiers on the Northern Border to lose their lives on the battlefield.

Meng Changan wanted to go to a place that was most dangerous. That was because he could rise through the ranks the fastest in the most dangerous place.

Naturally, Shen Leng knew what Meng Changan was trying to say. A fifth pin general – a person who had the power to protect the people he wanted to protect.

However, Shen Leng laughed. “Perhaps two years from now, I will become a fifth pin general too. After all, only a fifth pin general can take his family with him.”

Meng Changan stared blankly for a moment. Instinctively, he looked outside and laughed. “That girl has a very strong personality, I'm afraid you can't handle her. If other people bully you, I can do something about it. But if she bullies you, I can only laugh.”

Shen Leng's mouth twitched. “Shall we compete and see who gets to fifth pin faster?”

Meng Changan turned around, “Alright, let's see who's faster.”

Shen Leng stood up and yelled towards his back view. “Where's my dagger?”

Meng Changan did not turn around. “I threw it away a long time ago.”

Shen Leng yelled once more, “Even though the worn-out horse is not fast, it belongs to us.”

Meng Changan responded, “Got it.”

He waved his hand without turning around. He was somewhat annoyed. “Why are you as naggy as a mother hen?”

Shen Leng shrugged. “And you're not?”

After Meng Changan left the dining hall, he looked at the horse. It was rather old and skinny. Hence, he looked at it with a slight disdain. Master Cha noticed it and got angry. “What do you want?”

Meng Changan looked at her earnestly and said, “Can you give this horse to me? Sister.”

Instinctively, Master Cha shook her head. “Of course not…huh? Sister? Ah…it's just a horse. You can take it. Is one enough?”

Meng Changan nodded. “It's enough. Later on, I will repay you with a valuable horse and an expensive fur coat when you two get married.”

Master Cha blushed. “You don't have to. You don't have to stand on ceremony.”

Meng Changan walked off with the horse. Mr. Shen squatted down and sighed. “I used my blood, sweat and tears to raise two idiots. It's truly…hard to express in a few words.”

Master Cha responded, “Ahem, when we go back, I will help you pull the chariot.”

Mr. Shen replied, “How worrying. You are so easy to be bribed.”

Master Cha laughed. “It depends on who it is. It's because he is Meng Changan, Leng's brother.”

Mr. Shen was taken aback slightly. Thereafter, he smiled. “Yeah, he is Leng's brother.”

With a character like Leng's, he would not be short of brothers in this life. However, a brother like Meng Changan was one of a kind.

Chapter end